Compiled by CIARA O'BRIEN
Herb Scissor Set (€11)
Falling under the heading of “handy kitchen gadgets you never knew you needed”, these scissors are designed to make chopping herbs a little easier. There are no electronic parts or microchips involved: just five pairs of scissor blades instead of one.
The idea is that budding chefs and kitchen veterans will be able to use the scissors to create perfect chopped herbs, getting the required length and size without crushing them in the process – or potentially losing a finger.
No mess, no fuss.
Washing them after use, however, might be another story . . . You also get a starter pack of chive seeds and a book of cultivation tips to get you started.
firebox.com
Etch-a-Sketch iPhone case ($24.99)
There’s an app for most things – even turning your iPhone into a retro Etch-a-Sketch, should you feel the need. Now you can go the whole hog and pack your iPhone 4 into a red plastic case to make it truly resemble the classic toy.
The good thing is that it’s not just for show. The case is made from impact-resistant ABS plastic so it will not only give your iPhone a retro look, it will also protect it if you accidentally drop it.
And for that added bit of authenticity, it’s an officially licensed piece of kit and is apparently made in the same factory as the original toys.
thinkgeek.com
Apple MacBook Pro (from €1,199)
The buzz today may all be about the iPad, but Apple’s latest line of MacBooks deserves some attention too. The supercharged devices have been given a boost courtesy of Intel’s next generation of microchips, performing tasks more quickly. The 13-inch version has the dual core processors, while the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros bring in the heavy-hitting quad core chips. And that’s not all. Apple has also introduced Thunderbolt technology to connect high-performance peripherals to the notebooks. It says the Thunderbolt pipeline is 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and as much as 20 times faster than USB 2.0. The battery life has been improved too, and you also get a high-definition camera for FaceTime calls, among other new features.
apple.com
